• Vectric Aspire 3 0 Serial Port Orange

The main problem with bb's is when using laptops. These are constantly updateing and polling keyboards etc. Mach likes to have total control. Also you must make sure that you have the correct type of parallel port as the newer ones can be difficult.

CNC-Programming requires 'CAM' software knowledge and knowing some 'CAD' is a big bonus. 'CAD' and 'CAM' software can be found together. It also is used most commonly with a Parallel Port opposed to a Serial Port, however it does offer MODBUS support. Vectric Aspire.

The mach forum has information on this. I am using an old xp computer and do not have any trouble. Smooth stepper will be a bit quicker but your main speed problem will be the fact that at 24 volts power supply there is a limit to your speed.Bruce Posts: 15 Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2012 9:23 pm Location: Scotland Model of CNC Machine: home built 3 soon 4 axis. I also have a little knowledge (a dangerous thing). But I use Mach3 and a USB Smoothstepper board, with a laptop computer.My understanding.when using either a laptop or a desktop computer, make sure there are no programs that will interrupt to update or refresh the computer. Any interrupt will threaten the flow of data to your machine (not good).

If possible clear all other programs off of your computer, and turn off any automatic updates - such as windows.With desktops that have parallel ports, the issue is whether the signal coming from the parallel port is a strong and consistent 5v signal - if it is not, a Smoothstepper board will correct that problem. With laptops, the signal to the printer is much weaker, hence the need for a Smoothstepper. An additional problem is that many computers are made today without the traditional parallel output ports.There are other motion control boards besides the Smoothstepper, but ASAIK the Smoothstepper is the most popular. As someone else suggested, if I were buying one today, I would buy the ethernet version as opposed to the USB version.I think it would be easier to setup.AngieVectric Wizard Posts: 3157 Joined: Thu Feb 11, 2010 9:24 pm Location: SC, USA Model of CNC Machine: Self-built. I use a laptop with my small SX3 CNC mill and a desktop with the small CNC router I built a while back.

The SX3 mill is only using a breakout board and I do not experience any problems using it with Mach. The laptop is an old IBM Thinkpad that has a parallel port, but I did have some problems until I removed the wireless adapter and configured this system to optimize it for running Mach3. Now there is nothing to interrupt machining processes and it is basically my dedicated control computer for the mill. So if possible I would recommend optimizing the system you use for Mach unless you will need it for other tasks too. If you need to use it for other tasks you might find a boot configuration scheme workable or there are surely other ways to work around that scenario.The small CNC router that I built was having some intermittent problems with the axis while running that I thought might be noise and part of it was the reduction ratio for the X axis motor which was changed about the same time as we added the smooth stepper to the machine.

For the most part this machine worked fine with just the break out board but since we added the smooth stepper we have increased feeds and the motor tuning has been much more definite with it. Sone minor problems we have encountered with the smooth stepper are the homing of all axis will not work with the home switches in series so we are working around that by homing each axis separately, and I believe this can be remedied with perhaps a change in wiring to a parallel wiring setup.I would suggest trying the system with the simple break out board configuration and only adding the smooth stepper if you find there are problems that can't be resolved by other means.

If you are one of the few with deep pockets and the added expense of the smooth stepper is no biggie then go ahead and get it, maybe the ethernet one would be the way to go. I am currently building bigger machine and will go simple breakout first and upgrade only if needed or if it seems to enable higher speeds etc.

A lot of good information already posted here and I hope I have contributed also.Good luck with your machine and please keep us updated. Hello,I am not sure about the ethernet smooth stepper, but the USB model I am using eliminates the breakout board, it has one built into the circuit board, and also has twice as many available ports to use. The connections that went to the breakout board will connect to similar ports on the smooth stepper board. There are more definitive schematics and diagrams available on the net so you should be able to find them with a search. I think your flow is basically right, but there needs to be a driver for each axis before the CNC motors. There are also some videos showing connecting a basic 3 axis CNC system up that you might find informative and may help with the wiring.

There are also 3 and 4 axis drivers available but like most things the cost goes up with them. I have wired a Gecko 540 system and that is a great driver as long as you stay within the limitations for it, and the price is good too. Thanks for the info Wes.So are you saying that the USB Smoothstepper board replaces the functionality of my breakout board that looks like this?I call this the output side as it sends voltage to the stepper motors. I assume that is what you were talking about when you said 'there needs to be a driver for each axis before the CNC motors'.The only input on this side is the 24 volts from the power supply.I call this the input side as it connects, via the parallel port cable to the PC.And of course, I need to power the breakout board from the power supply which looks like this.Vectric Craftsman Posts: 199 Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 8:32 pm Location: Nashville, IL Model of CNC Machine: Signal Seeker 24X24. Hello,I think you will need a driver in addition to the breakout board you are showing. I have posted a general wiring diagram to show the flow and various components in the system. I hope this helps illustrate what I am saying about the flow from the breakout board to the drivers and then the motors.

Vectric Aspire 3 0 Serial Port Orange

The break out board here is not a covered unit like yours but unless your break out board includes drivers I believe it is just an enclosed unit. Surely you have some documentation that came with the components don't you?(maybe not or maybe very minimal) Attachments.

The unit I called a breakout board includes drivers for 4 axis as indicated above by the A, Z, Y and X connections above.It also provides 5V out as well as 5 limit input signals.I guess I will start with hooking this up and seeing how this works.I won't have time till the end of the month to even start assembly. Still have to round up a PC to run it all.Thanks for the advice and suggestions.Vectric Craftsman Posts: 199 Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 8:32 pm Location: Nashville, IL Model of CNC Machine: Signal Seeker 24X24. I am assuming that your computer is connected to your breakout board with a parallel cable or printer cable. You remove your parallel cable, run a USB or ethernet cable( depending on which smoothstepper) to the smoothsteppper, then an adapter cable from the smoothstepper to the parallel cable input on you breakout board. It just replaces your parallel cable, and emulates a parallel port. I run my Mach at 100,000 hertz, and have no problems.

The smooth stepper stores data for looking ahead for your gcode and takes the load off of your computer.Roy Vectric Wizard Posts: 487 Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2009 4:04 am Location: Uvalde Texas. Hello SIBUD,In a nutshell, you could hook up your step and direction signals directly to the parallel port of your computer as well as your inputs and outputs using Mach 3 as the controller. (I do not recommend this, I'm just trying show you how the breakout board acts as a buffer between the computer and the machine tool) The manual with the pin-outs of the parallel port can be downloaded from here if you wished to study it further.However the picture you have posted, shows a break out board, which I believe also has the step motor drivers for three axis( x y z) built in as well.

You will have to study the documents that came with it to verify it. Using the methods above, you are relying on the CPU of the computer being used, to control your step and direction signals. Some times a program running or starting in the back ground can cause problems with this process, causing undesirable results. Another option is a board with on board DSP such as the smooth stepper, or other boards can be found on the 'plugins' page of the Artsoft website. These boards take control of sending the timing or pulses being sent to drives, which than turn the motors on your machine. Mach 3 is still used as the controller or interface to the machine, however the 'grunt' work is done by the board, which often results in more stable motion.I have used a CSMIO/IP-M 4 axis ethernet motion controller, to rebuild a Gorilla cnc machine control box and was very happy with the end results.Good luck, and hope you enjoy building your machine!

Vectric Apprentice Posts: 2 Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2013 2:29 am Model of CNC Machine: Ozo 1824.